Apple faces a ‘Fortnite’ case in China, here’s what it means for the company

A Chinese developer has launched a legal battle against Apple's App Store practices, marking only the second time the tech giant must defend its platform model in China. Beijing's intellectual property court is hearing a case from Beijing Bodyreader Technology, which is seeking $420,000 in damages after its app was removed from the App Store in 2020.
According to Bloomberg, closed-door hearings began Thursday and could conclude this week, representing the first time Apple has faced allegations from a Chinese developer regarding its standard mobile platform practices.
The lawsuit echoes elements of Epic Games' landmark 2021 case against Apple. Bodyreader, which developed an app helping children improve posture, is challenging Apple's claim that the app engaged in "dishonest" behaviour. The developer argues that Apple demonstrated inconsistent enforcement by later approving an identical app under a different name.
Among its demands, Bodyreader is seeking monetary compensation, an apology, and a court declaration that Apple engages in unfair monopolistic behaviour. The developer is also challenging Apple's standard 30% commission on virtual services and app purchases, requesting the court to mandate support for third-party app stores and external payment links.
The case comes at a sensitive time for Apple as it balances maintaining its position in China's crucial market while adapting to the country's push to support domestic technology companies. The company faces growing competition from local smartphone makers like Huawei and has recently clashed with Chinese tech giants ByteDance and Tencent over payment options in their respective apps.